Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-03-04

OF that caucus on the subject, whether
they were the views of the House of Rep
resentatives or not, he then in mis- discre-
ton would permit that motion to be
made. Now l say that ct any time up to
the last twenty years, SUCH an attempted
usurpation o. power would have created
a storm in this country that would
have either driven the usurper
out Of his seat or would have
occasioneda revolu ion in the government
Itself. Under the constitution major
ity OF the representatives. OF the states
ana majority of the representatives OF
the people have the right to make or to
change the laws under which the people
are to live, subject, Of course, to the veto
power Of he executive; but here Is
claim advanced in the face of the Ameri-
can people, alike OvertDrowlng the con-
sJitutioual power Of the Senate and the
constitutional power OF the House,
and degrading every single member
of that great assembly which ought
to be the most dignifed legislative body
on earth Who does not know that
under the existing condition OF things
legislation is conducted IN this country
under au arrangement by which II every
man but two or three in one of the leSls-
la.ive bodies of ihe country happen to
desire a thing 10 be done, 1t cannot be
done unless these TWO or three men
happen also % give it their appreciation.
Mr.. President, there has not come before
the American people since the end OF the
war question Tor determination
that involved such grave constitutional
results and on which their interests so
much depended as the question as to
whether this usurpation of power shall
be permitted to - on. Henry Clay WIS
supposed to have strong Will. lie
would no more have dared to assert such
an authority when he vas Speaker OF the
House of Representatives than he would
have veItured to cross Niagara river
twenty rods above the falls. MIR. Blaine,
under whom manv of US served in another
place, is generally supposed to have a
pretty strong will and pretty strong
desire to have accomplished IN the ad-
minstration of the country things which
! he thinks ought 10 be done. | served IN
| the House with that accomplished gen
| tlemau for eight years, Tor six of which
| ne was Speaker, snd the humOlest ID mo-
crat, when he had s majority CT three
! fourths or four-ffths IN that body, was
permitted to make his motion to suspend
the rules every Monday and every day
within the last SIX days of adjournment.
They used TO put us on record with all
sorts of contrivances and in all manner Of
WAYS by calling the yeas and nays or
questions on which they thought
the Republicans would not like
to commit themselves. 1t Is
true that occasionally wher business
pressed during the lest twenty-four Of
forty eight hours of the session Mr.
Speaker Blaine would exercise his Selec-
ton of persons 10 be recognized in &C
cGrdance with what he believed to be The
desire of the House, and that was all
but whoever heard of Mr.. Blaine, If :
member desired to TO be recognized u
move his adoption of a measure thai
would pass unanimously or not uuanl
mou>ly if proposed, informing that mem
Der that the presiding officer had deter
mined that 1t was not eXpedient to have
any measure Of that kind proposed dur
ing that session of Congress. Mr
President, this is question which
goes clear down to the funda
mental rock on which gu
constitutional structure is founded.
would rather have mad the power Of Rus
STA or the King Of Bombay rule over mi
than have, under pretense of Constltu
tional form, the right denied q represen
tative to utter the will of the American
people, when constitutionally expressed
by the voice of majority in each branch
Tie first assertion is made in the service
of the party, the next Is made in the serV
ice of some particular clique, or faction
or section of that party; but 1t is yer.
, delightful and fascinating power, ant
very soon it comes to be used IN tn
service of a personal Whim, or persona
ambition, or personal authority OF two OF
| three gentlemen in whom the powe
is permitted to be placed. Now 1t ha'
seemed best to the majOrity of the Sen
ate to submit to having law, which va
passed by the Senate almost unanimous
", and which was nevLr submitted to TIT
other house at all, eyisiCerated and emas
culated by q process which has been herr
de Scribed. We have not thought 1t de
sirable in the state of public feeling, IL
: the condition of public business, IL IN
: prevailing sentiment % the American
people to insist upon an extra session o
: Congress, but | wish for one to give no
tice that in my Judgment this is the las
time that that usurpation will be sub
mitted TO.
Senator Beck was called cut OF tn
chamber for awhile and was only back il
time 10 hear what seems to me most re
marksble TRADE againrt the Speaker o
the House of Representatives. That gen
tlemau needs no defense ct my hands
and | mad supposed that in the Senate
the United States under the rules an
prophecies of the occasion comment upo
: the action of the Speaker would not b.
INDUCED in. l have only this to say
that there is 30 man in Massachusetts
or outside of Massachusetts, wht
will attack either the integrity, honest
or ability of the Speaker of the presen
House of Representatives with lmpunlt
in his presence. II would be more mani
for some one in that House to rise Their
and say whatever 1t might be though
: proper to say in regard TO his actions a
2 Speaker than for g member CT tn
Senate who cannot be heard and Wher
, he has no right TO speak to attack hin
There are $50 partisans OF the Senate
, from Massachusetts on the floor OF tn
5 other House, all of whom have right t
e make whatever attack they please, ana
they do they will receive a response ot
? fitting the attack.
Senstor Hoar-I ask the Senator fro1
: Kentucky whether he denies single q:
d sertion of fact that l have made, whethe